SLIDESHOW: Niece of Second World War hero John Williams – who inspired Steve McQueen’s Great Escape character – in emotional visit to RAF Wyton

04/04/14 Great Escape - RAF Wyton, Huntingdon
04/04/14 Louise Williams , niece of Sqn Ldr John Williams who was shot during the Great Escape and apparently played by Steve McQueen in the film, is given a flight at RAF Wyton . She gets fitted with her surv

04/04/14 Great Escape - RAF Wyton, Huntingdon
04/04/14 Louise Williams , niece of Sqn Ldr John Williams who was shot during the Great Escape and apparently played by Steve McQueen in the film, is given a flight at RAF Wyton . She is shown with Flt Lt Crai

04/04/14 Great Escape - RAF Wyton, Huntingdon
04/04/14 Louise Williams , niece of Sqn Ldr John Williams who was shot during the Great Escape and apparently played by Steve McQueen in the film, is given a flight at RAF Wyton . She gets fitted with her surv

04/04/14 Great Escape - RAF Wyton, Huntingdon
04/04/14 Louise Williams , niece of Sqn Ldr John Williams who was shot during the Great Escape and apparently played by Steve McQueen in the film, is given a flight at RAF Wyton . She is shown with Flt Lt Crai

04/04/14 Great Escape - RAF Wyton, Huntingdon
04/04/14 Louise Williams , niece of Sqn Ldr John Williams who was shot during the Great Escape and apparently played by Steve McQueen in the film, is given a flight at RAF Wyton . She is shown with Flt Lt Crai

04/04/14 Great Escape - RAF Wyton, Huntingdon
04/04/14 Louise Williams , niece of Sqn Ldr John Williams who was shot during the Great Escape and apparently played by Steve McQueen in the film, is given a flight at RAF Wyton . She is shown with Flt Lt Crai

04/04/14 Great Escape - RAF Wyton, Huntingdon
04/04/14 Louise Williams , niece of Sqn Ldr John Williams who was shot during the Great Escape and apparently played by Steve McQueen in the film, is given a flight at RAF Wyton . She is shown with Flt Lt Crai

04/04/14 Great Escape - RAF Wyton, Huntingdon
04/04/14 Louise Williams , niece of Sqn Ldr John Williams who was shot during the Great Escape and apparently played by Steve McQueen in the film, is given a flight at RAF Wyton . She is shown with Flt Lt Crai

04/04/14 Great Escape - RAF Wyton, Huntingdon
04/04/14 Louise Williams , niece of Sqn Ldr John Williams who was shot during the Great Escape and apparently played by Steve McQueen in the film, is given a flight at RAF Wyton . She is shown with Flt Lt Crai

04/04/14 Great Escape - RAF Wyton, Huntingdon
04/04/14 Louise Williams , niece of Sqn Ldr John Williams who was shot during the Great Escape and apparently played by Steve McQueen in the film, is given a flight at RAF Wyton . She is shown with Flt Lt Crai

04/04/14 Great Escape - RAF Wyton, Huntingdon
04/04/14 Louise Williams , niece of Sqn Ldr John Williams who was shot during the Great Escape and apparently played by Steve McQueen in the film, is given a flight at RAF Wyton . Picture by Warren Gunn

04/04/14 Great Escape - RAF Wyton, Huntingdon
04/04/14 Louise Williams , niece of Sqn Ldr John Williams who was shot during the Great Escape and apparently played by Steve McQueen in the film, is given a flight at RAF Wyton . She is shown with Flt Lt Crai

ESCAPER: Louise Williams takes to the air with with Flt Lt Craig Hunt from 57(R) Sqn

The niece of a wartime Great Escape hero who was murdered by the Gestapo after tunnelling out of a prisoner of war camp has made an emotional visit to RAF Wyton.

Louise Williams was given a flight in a Grob Tutor aircraft used by Cambridge University Air Squadron – whose former students had been taught to fly by her uncle, Squadron Leader John Williams, before the Second Wold War.

He was one of 50 escapees shot after being recaptured in their bid for freedom portrayed in the film The Great Escape.

Actor Steve McQueen’s character was partly based on that of Sqn Ldr Williams DFC, even though he was an Australian.

Sqn Ldr Williams, who was just 24 when he was shot after crossing the Czech border, had been responsible for scrounging wood to shore up the tunnel at the Stalag Luft III camp in Poland and was number 31 out of the tunnel.

Louise, from Sydney, was invited to RAF Wyton after meeting members of the station’s 57 Reserve Squadron in a ceremony at the camp in Zagan to mark the 70th anniversary of the escape last month.

She said: “It was just very, very emotional to stand at the end of the tunnel and just thinking of the physical and mental endurance it would have required. It would have been hard going.

“It has been a huge privilege to come to RAF Wyton. It is absolutely extraordinary.

“I am just sorry my father is not here. I think he was enormously proud of John and what happened.”

Louise’s late father was the youngest brother of Sqn Ldr Williams and she said the whole family had been proud of his role in the Great Escape and that his “unnecessary” execution had made the whole episode harder for them.

Seventy-six prisoners escaped through the tunnel, 50 were shot after they were recaptured and the rest were returned to their camps. Three made it home.

Knowing war was coming Sqn Ldr Williams joined the RAF in 1937 and came to England where he trained members of Cambridge University Air Squadron. He was captured in north Africa.